Maules Creek coal project

The Maules Creek coal project is an undeveloped open cut coal deposit of approximately of 398 million tonnes. The deposit is located in the Gunnedah Basin in New South Wales.

In November 2009 Coal & Allied entered into an agreement to sell the project to Aston Resources for A$480 million cash. In a media release Coal & Allied Managing Director Bill Champion stated that "the Maules Creek Coal Project did not form part of Coal & Allied's short term or medium term development plans."

On its website, Aston Resources states that the project has a total resource of 610 million tonnes of which 356 million tonnes is classed as reserves of 356 million tonnes. Aston Resources states that the resource is enough to "sustain a potential project life in excess of 30 years. Aston expects the mine will have average saleable coal production of 10.8Mtpa."

The company states that "the majority of Maules Creek production is expected to be higher margin metallurgical coal. The Project will produce semi-soft coking coal (47%) and high volatile PCI coal (10%). The export thermal coal produced at Maules Creek is expected to receive a premium because of its high energy, low ash and low sulphur characteristics.'

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